Friday, January 14, 2011

Turning Japanese


Ladies and Gentleman, I need to come out and say this: I realize I have a collection addiction for Japanese anime.

For the past few years, I've been buying anime series with the intent of watching them eventually. (Hey, they're really cheap here.) Unfortunately, I've not yet had the chance to watch almost any of them such that-- like my books-- they're backing up like crazy.

Now, as of last count, there are 59 titles waiting beside my TV and I've only finished only one series: High School of the Dead. Here's a complete list:
  1. The Last Exile
  2. Full Metal Panic, Full Metal Panic Fumoffu, Full Metal Panic The Second Raid
  3. Perfect Blue
  4. Stand Alone Complex
  5. Samurai Seven
  6. Read or Die, Read or Die TV
  7. Getbackers
  8. GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka
  9. High School of the Dead
  10. A Certain Scientific Rail Gun
  11. Ghost Stories (Bakemonogatari)
  12. Paprika
  13. Summer Wars
  14. Gatekeepers
  15. Shikabane Hime AKA
  16. Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls
  17. Queen's Blade
  18. Yukikaze
  19. The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi
  20. Black Lagoon 1 & 2
  21. Cowboy Bebop
  22. Samurai Gun
  23. The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk
  24. FLCL
  25. Strait Jacket
  26. Jyu Oh Sei
  27. Gunparade March: The New Warsong
  28. Shakugan no Shana
  29. Night Wizard
  30. Peacemaker
  31. First Squad: The Moment of Truth
  32. Viper's Creed
  33. Divergence Eve
  34. Blade of the Immortal
  35. Chrono Crusade
  36. Tenjo Tenge
  37. Steam Detectives
  38. Maburaho
  39. Godannar Season 1
  40. Grenadier
  41. Full Metal Alchemist Season 1
  42. Canaan
  43. Speed Grapher
  44. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion: Seasons 1 & 2
  45. Gunslinger Girl
  46. Gantz
  47. Tsubasa Chronicle
  48. Fate Stay Night
  49. Blood
  50. Tweeny Witches
  51. Witch Hunter Robin
  52. Boys Be...
  53. Samurai Champloo
  54. Ranma 1½
  55. Ghost Hunt
  56. Zombie Loan
  57. Those Who Hunt Elves, Season 2 (no season 1)
  58. Darker than Black Season 2 (no season 1)
  59. Hayao Miyazaki collection
I also have downloads of Nausicaa, Steamboy, Appleseed 2004, and the series Vandread burned on DVDs. My only consolation? I've not yet heard anyone being killed by overflowing stacks of DVDs. Thank goodness for that.

How do I know I have an addiction given that I've not watched any? The same way that I know I'm a certified bibliophile: I keep on buying even knowing I still have so many waiting for me back home.

To paraphrase an oft-repeated saying in this blog: so many anime series, so little time.

5 comments:

dodo dayao said...

The first things you should watch from that list (if you haven't yet) are Cowboy Bebop and FLCL.

And yeah, I feel you, man, on the books and the DVDs. Also, death by DVD stack may not be possible but it's been known to cause minor injuries when they fall on you while you're asleep. And I say that like someone who's had it happen to him. :)

Anonymous said...

dude. GTO is da shit! -- KMFDM

Pao said...

All those series available and you go with High School of the Dead? *shoots you*

Well, here's my unsolicited advice, if you choose to accept it:

I agree with Dodo (although I never did finish either of those), then hit the Miyazaki collection (except for the Earthsea adaptation, from what I hear) and Summer Wars. (Easier to finish movies than series).

As for the series, not sure if the GTO anime is as good as the manga but it's definitely fun. I'd go with Haruhi (just season 1--if you liked it, shift to the light novels and the movie) then hit FMA (but stop where season 1 diverges from the manga--not quite sure where. Jump to FMA: Brotherhood after that). You might also enjoy Stand Alone Complex, Last Exile, Speed Grapher, Black Lagoon, Shakugan no Shana, Witchhunter Robin, and the Full Metal Panic series. Beware though, you've got some real stinkers in that list--I'd avoid Queen's Blade, Maburaho, Grenadier, and Code Geass (unless you start watching it like MST3K). For Fate/Stay Night, you'd be better served playing the game :)

banzai cat said...

@dodo: heh watching ghost hunt and then maybe zombie loan after. i need my daily dose of horror and horror novels aren't doing the trick.

LOL at the DVD avalanche, man. what did you get? plastic cuts? DVD bruises?

@KMDFM: Onizuka is da bomb!

@pao: heh i like zombies. plus students? who could resist? (besides, i finished reading the manga and i wanted to compare.)

am a diehard miyazaki fan (plus i have the collection) so i can forgo that first.

as for GTO anime, blasphemer! onizuka is good with everything, like chuck norris! and code geass and fate/stay night is bad? oooh...

Anonymous said...

i love highschool of the dead <3.. cant wait for the next season.